It’s no bigger than, well, a big living room.
Sandwiched in between two travel agents on a busy Glasgow city centre street, blink and you’ll most certainly miss it amid the hustle and bustle, despite its bright turquoise exterior.
However, if you’re lucky enough to spot this little gem – the brainchild of jeweller Eva Robertson – you’re in for a real treat.
What the hipster haunt lacks in size, it makes up for in character, charm . . . and, most importantly, tasty treats of both sweet and savoury varieties.
From soups, sandwiches and scones to cookies and cakes, absolutely everything is crafted daily on-site using ingredients from local suppliers.
And it’s this homemade, honest cooking that makes Riverhill – small as it is – such a huge hit and gives the big coffee chains a run for their money.
The exposed brick-walled café boasts a steady stream of shoppers, office workers and tourists all day long.
Most toddle in for a takeaway. But if you like to linger over your coffee and cake at leisure, it’s probably best to avoid the lunchtime rush when the queue can be found stretching out of the door and space along the anything but sophisticated wooden wall bench is limited.
In a place where the food speaks for itself though, and with such a warm atmosphere and welcoming staff, there’s no need for fancy furniture.
Selecting what to eat from the array of inventive foods on offer is complex enough.
Everything looks incredibly tasty but I eventually opt for the chicken club roll, so packed with chunky cheese, chicken and bacon that it’s been tied together with a piece of string. It’s fresh and filling.
By the time it’s down the hatch, I think I might struggle to squeeze in a scone, but in a café so full of cakes and bakes, from caramel-smothered Snickers brownies to pecan pies
and mouth-watering mince pies, it would be a crime not to try a dessert.
Plain and served with butter and jam, there is more than enough for one – especially after that super sandwich I was given.
However, it is so delicious that I somehow manage to devour every last crumb.
I wash it down with a speciality Dear Green coffee . . . absolutely delicious. My only gripe would be the size of the cups.
They’re so small that I’m forced to try an artisan hot chocolate as well.
That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
All in all, a lovely lunch – a good brew, a light bite and a sweet treat to boot, all under one tiny roof.
To rely on another old adage, it seems size isn’t everything after all.
WARM WELCOME 7/10, LOCATION, LOCATION 8/10, SCONE SCORE 8/10
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